Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

Hi Everyone,
Been distilling for a few months using TPW. In the past I had tried others efforts and the burnt taste eveyone had convinced me not to bother doing it myself. Recently someone got me to try a TPW and the alcohol tasted quite clean without that odd bitter burnt taste so I tried it myself with a T500.
At the start my alcohol had too much flavour, I cut 150ml foreshots and kept 2.5L from a 25L wash. The alcohol was too perfumery, and too banana.
I popped it back in the still and diluted to 40% ish and distilled again. This time much less stinky result and quite nice. The water left in the still after the second distill stinks of perfume so this is coming out during the second pass. I rinse my still head each time too ensuring the cleanest possible results.
Will a third pass improve more?
Is there a way to get the first pass cleaner or is the only way to get such a clean result is another pass?
Cheers
Cafe

Yes do cuts. Look up newbie section for kiwi distiller guide to cuts.

Fact it tastes like banana tells me it was an infected wash. When preventing wild esters for neutral be real careful with hygiene..flavoured spirits it's not as important.

bluc wrote:Yes do cuts. Look up newbie section for kiwi distiller guide to cuts.

Fact it tastes like banana tells me it was an infected wash. When preventing wild esters for neutral be real careful with hygiene..flavoured spirits it's not as important.

No infection in wash, I have done lots of attempts and there is always too much flavour, the second distill gets rid of loads of it, I just wondered if three times is worth it and if this is typical with the t500?
Chris

What kind of T500 ? What packing is in it ?
I’ve never like TPW and ended up doin WBAB
Try cleaning the packing materials and running the T500 slower
And cuts , collect in small cuts and air out for 24 hours before blending

Hi Cafe,


If you haven't already, have a good read of this guide to running a T500, it's gold.

viewtopic.php?f=57&t=10483


Regards
Mark

The Stig wrote:What kind of T500 ? What packing is in it ?
I’ve never like TPW and ended up doin WBAB
Try cleaning the packing materials and running the T500 slower
And cuts , collect in small cuts and air out for 24 hours before blending

My T500 is the copper one. I clean my colum every time I use it, but I will unpack it and give it a big clean before next time.
I run the T500 and under 52 degrees so running it slow already.
Necer heard of the WBAB just googled it, what is the difference in taste?
I dont use essences, I like a clean vodka like spirite so basically I just want a clean neutral spirite.
The 2x passed TPW is quite good with no off flavours but just a little sweet still but very good. I guess I am trying to get my finished product to the next level.
Thanks again
Chris

Do cuts.....

I gave up on TPW , I could taste the T no matter what I did.
That’s why I turned to the weet-bix wash.
And considering most Vodka's are wheat based it’s a great alternative .
Now, what packing is in your T500 ? If ceramic , give them a good soak in steradent : https://www.chemistwarehouse.com.au/buy ... 48-tablets

The Stig wrote:I gave up on TPW , I could taste the T no matter what I did.
That’s why I turned to the weet-bix wash.
And considering most Vodka's are wheat based it’s a great alternative .
Now, what packing is in your T500 ? If ceramic , give them a good soak in steradent : https://www.chemistwarehouse.com.au/buy ... 48-tablets

Steel and copper I think.
Which Weet bix wash recipie and are there any do's and donts?
The TPW is good, no burnt carbon odd taste that put me off doing this for a long time as every persons brew I tried had this horrible taste. Mine is just a bit fruity and a bit too sweet. I tried to make a juniper Gin and the excessive sweetness spoiled it. Is the weetbix a lot more neutral?
Cafe

bluc wrote:Do cuts.....

I have tried doing cuts and the taste is in all of them. What I have settled on though is discard over 150ms, even 200, then keep the middle but only 2.2L and chuck the rest. I found the last 3-400mls after that was for sure tails, stopping at 2.2L no odd tail taste, but right through too sweet and too much flavour.
I have hopes on the weetbix wash now.
Chris

viewtopic.php?f=32&t=170
I don’t use the bran just weet-bix , I also don’t use epsom salts or citric acid
My KeepItSimple philosophy has done me well over the years

The Stig wrote:https://aussiedistiller.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=170
I don’t use the bran just weet-bix , I also don’t use epsom salts or citric acid
My KeepItSimple philosophy has done me well over the years

Thanks, I will have a look.
All the best
Chris

Keep it straight up, don"t heat it up and use angle yeast. I did and the taste is rather strong,

chipboy wrote:Keep it straight up, don"t heat it up and use angle yeast. I did and the taste is rather strong,

Not sure I understand. Straight up or angle yeast?
Chris

I will endeavour to translate chipboys engineer speak.
Please do not cook the weet-bix and sugar , just enough hot water to dissolve the sugar and crumble the wet-bix in and please do not use Angel yeast (a no cook all grain enzyme yeast mix) just use normal bakers yeast .
I hope that helps :laughing-rolling:

The Stig wrote:I will endeavour to translate chipboys engineer speak.
Please do not cook the weet-bix and sugar , just enough hot water to dissolve the sugar and crumble the wet-bix in and please do not use Angel yeast (a no cook all grain enzyme yeast mix) just use normal bakers yeast .
I hope that helps :laughing-rolling:

Thanks :handgestures-thumbupleft:

I suppose I should say thank you too?

:music-deathmetal:

Hey cafe sorry if i came across snarky not my intention. If you run same spirit through three times and just toss a small heads cut then all you have done is removed some of the heads.

If you learn to do cuts correctly then you can remove all the heads(almost) and all the tails. Which will give you a much better spirit. No filtering to remove crap cause the crap is not in the hearts to start with..

bluc wrote:Hey cafe sorry if i came across snarky not my intention. If you run same spirit through three times and just toss a small heads cut then all you have done is removed some of the heads.

If you learn to do cuts correctly then you can remove all the heads(almost) and all the tails. Which will give you a much better spirit. No filtering to remove crap cause the crap is not in the hearts to start with..

All good.
Yesterday a wash was ready and I tossed the first 180mls, then saved 2.4L. I then redistilled it tossing another 50mils at the head and when it got to 2L I kept that seperate and collected 100mls more ans diluted that to 40%. To my surprise it tasted of tails, not really bad but not good. The seperate 2L was fine. This got me thinking with TPW where is the correct cut for the tails, was I lucky and founf it or is is 1,2 or 300 mls more ie do I stop at 1.7 8 or 9 for hearts?
Cafe